condiment Archives

Crock Pot Spiced Peach Butter

Peaches are a sign of summer. Peaches are delicious. Peaches are sticky. Peaches rot. I had a good amount of peaches in my fridge that were starting to go the way of the dinosaur…and I didn’t feel like canning them since there weren’t that many. And I didn’t feel like eating 3 pounds of peaches in one day either. While yes, I could do that…going to the ER to get my stomach pumped is not my idea of a good time. *Burp*

So, I think I had a stroke of genius when I decided to make this…I already had apple butter on the brain, thinking I could tweak my recipe and use stevia (which I haven’t tried yet). Then I thought to myself, “Self, I bet peach butter would rock my face off.” So, self decided to try it…and self was right. It DOES rock my face off. Self is a genius.

[Read more…]

Crock Pot Sweet Apple Chutney

When I was pregnant with Annie, I went hog wild and pig crazy over apples. I ate them every day. Yes, plural. Sometimes three a day. I couldn’t get enough. Now, apples and applesauce are one of her favorite foods. With Andy, it was bananas. I would have attacked you over eating my banana – and he LOVES them now too. It’s a good thing I didn’t gorge myself on Skittles and Doritos.

I still love apple dishes. If I come across a recipe with “apple” in the title, I’m always gonna read it. As much as I love them, I don’t care for traditional apple chutney. It usually includes chopped onion and vinegar. I’m sorry, but I just cannot do that with my apples. It seems wrong to me – like I’m cheating on caramel or something. [Read more…]

Crock Pot Sugar-Free Strawberry Chia Jam

I love jam…namely my Mama’s Strawberry Freezer Jam. I could literally suck that stuff up with a straw. But man alive – as good as it is, it’s chock full of sugar. Most jams are.

Most jams are made with a bunch of sugar, some pectin, and a little bit of fruit. I wanted my jam to be made of mostly fruit, sweetened with stevia, and thickened with something good for me. [Read more…]

Vegetable Cheese Sauce

I like my broccoli plain. I don’t like cheese sauce on it. I like it roasted or steamed with some salt…and butter. Lots of butter. So, maybe that’s not plain after all. Hmmm. I’ll have to think on that one.

I do like Broccoli Casserole…and Broccoli Salad. Okay, so nix what I said earlier. I do like stuff on my broccoli – I just don’t like cheese sauce on it. I think broccoli is tasty enough you don’t need it.

However, I have a 3 year old who likes to have sauce of any kind…and if I can get her to eat more veggies by making a healthy cheese sauce, well dagnabbit, I’m gonna do it. Mini Trees Dipped in Cheese Snow? Yes please. [Read more…]

10 Recipes You Must Try – Take 2

The post I wrote for you guys called 10 Recipes You MUST Try was very popular. You enjoyed me sharing some tasty recipes with y’all…and you asked me for more. So, here ya go: a few more recipes that I’ve made that were top notch – so much so that I’ve made them multiple times. And if you know me, you know that if I make something more than once, it must mean it kicks butt!

So, here we go! Sit back and get your pinning button ready…make sure to add these to your Plan to Eat schedule and Pinterest boards ASAP. I also recommend you to browse the thor’s fork page for more cooking tips and ideas!
[Read more…]

Kefir Resources

So, I’ve been using kefir now for about two years. My love for it has only grown – I’ve shared my love with friends and family members…I’m trying to get everyone on the kefir train! Stacy jumped off the kefir bridge, and I’m trying to get you to jump with me. Everybody’s doing it.

Okay, so not everyone is doing it. And you’ll likely get some strange looks if you start telling people you ferment milk. Kefir is essentially fermented, cultured milk. It’s FULL of probiotics and all sorts of good stuff. It’s very healthy and I try to keep it on my menu regularly since it contributes to a healthy immune system. [Read more…]

Butter Bell

When we switched to full fat dairy and got rid of all the margarine in the house (gross) I started to wonder how on earth I was going to spread butter all over my toast? I mean really. Cold butter just rips bread to pieces…..and I am not even going to think I would remember soon enough before I wanted toast to get it out of the fridge to soften. I came across a recipe at Tammy’s Recipe for how to make spreadable butter using oil, and I thought about trying that. But then I changed my mind after I found………. [Read more…]

Homemade Crock Pot Pizza Sauce

Well, I know y’all love pizza. No, I don’t have ESP……every time I ask on Facebook on Friday what y’all are eating, about 80% of you say pizza. Is Friday National Pizza Day and someone forgot to tell me?

Anyway, we love pizza too……but I checked out the label on the pizza sauce at the store – and then I put it back on the shelf. I’ll spare you what’s in it. It’s not pretty.

So, I decided to make some myself to put in the freezer to have whenever we wanted pizza…..and it was EASY! I thought to myself: “Self, why not do this in the crock pot?” So, self did it in the crock pot.
[Read more…]

Homemade Mayonnaise

I’m going to be honest with you. I hate mayo. It makes me want to gag. BLECH! In the words of Annie – Sheweeeeeeeeeeeeee! But, Barry likes mayo so I use to buy it for him. I also use it in recipes. Yes, I can tolerate it in stuff but you’ll not find me putting it on my sandwich plain….it must be mixed in something. But, now that I’ve switched to homemade, my tastes might change as it does with a lot of homemade items. This is SO easy you’ll wonder why you haven’t always been doing it. I just love making stuff at home. It makes me feel so…..so……homey. Not be confused with A HOMEY. I’m not that cool.

You’ll need eggs, OLIVE OIL, cider vinegar, yellow mustard, sugar, and salt. Olive oil is one of the very best oils for you. I know, I read stuff. I’m starting to go through a lot of it so now I buy it in a gallon jug. [Read more…]

Mama’s Homemade Syrup

*UPDATE – See this post about our new eating habits.(7/10/11)

This is the best syrup in all the ENTIRE world! Holy moly. I could drink it with a straw……but I’m pretty sure that would wind me up in the ER. Nix that. Anyway, it’s good stuff. Sometimes Barry’s mom gives it to me and then I give her a big hug. I think she’s buttering me up to make her a Coconut Pie. Butter me up baby! When I was growing up, my mom always made her syrup. No, we didn’t go out and tap a tree in the front yard…….she made it using sugar and flavoring. I loved it then and I love it still.

My sister didn’t eat it though. She would only eat Aunt Jemima. I think my Grandma had something to do with that……she would make Aunt Jemima talk. Grandma’s are really good for spoiling your kids so they only eat certain things. Just ask my cousin, Robbie. Yeah, I know it’s pure sugar and not the real thing, but it’s still yummy. And easy! Plus, it’s nice to know this recipe in case you run out of syrup and need something for your pancakes on a cold morning when you don’t want to run to the grocery store. You really should stockpile syrup though. It’s a necessity, like toilet paper. So, let’s learn how to make our own syrup just like my Mama makes! [Read more…]